Member Article

North East urban designers appointed to national design

Two local urban designers have been appointed to a national design panel where they will advise on building and infrastructureprojects across the country.

Richard Charge and Tony Wyatt’s appointment by the national organisation Design Council Cabe comes after the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) placed much greater emphasis on the design credentials that major development projects ought to achieve in order to be granted planning permission.

Tony and Richard have been appointed as Built Environment Experts (BEEs) at Design Council Cabe, making them two of only four BEEs in the North East, and part of a wider network of 250 nationally,who are the leading experts in their field.

BEEs are appointed to work with local authorities and private developers and they provide independent expert advice on:

urban design, planning, architecture, engineering, transport, highway and street designlandscape, ecology, heritage, sustainabilitycommunity development and participation

Tony and Richard have over 40 years of built environment experience between them and took the decision to set up their own independent urban design consultancy, +PlusUD, in the North East in 2011 after recognising the increasing importance of urban design to a project’s chances of successfully securing planning permission.

Now, in their role as BEEs, they will be assigned to projects across the country by Design Council Cabe to mentor design procurement, deliver training on the role of design in neighbourhood planning, and participate in the crucial Design Review process.

Commenting on their appointment, Richard Charge, director at +PlusUD said: “There is a great deal of focus on infrastructure and development now as part of wider efforts to stimulate the economy. One of the really interesting aspects of the NPPF is the extra emphasis it places on urban design, which is something that developers now need to give even greater consideration to avoid unnecessary delays later.

“The Design Council Cabe team exists to advise local authorities and private developers on projects of all shapes and sizes across the country. Both Tony and I are looking forward to applying the knowledge we have built up here in the North East to developments acrossEnglandhelping to shape places and spaces that meet local needs.

“Setting up +PlusUD and seeing it grow in its first year was very rewarding, and now being appointed as Design Council Cabe BEEs really does complete a remarkable twelve months for us.”

Through Design Council Cabe, Richard and Tony will now be appointed to work with community groups, town and parish councils and local authorities across the country to improve the design of local places and help put good design at the centre of neighbourhood planning.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by +PlusUD .